


never become

by krystalpomme



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Platonic Kisses, Poor Peter Parker, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Peter Parker, Time Travel, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:27:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28414620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krystalpomme/pseuds/krystalpomme
Summary: after a lab day gone wrong, peter travels back in time to 1992. he needs tony's help to get him back to his own time, but can he trust himself to not reveal the truth of their relationship to his 21 year old father figure?meanwhile tony is fighting his own battles. peter makes him realize his one true fear would never come true.As Peter's view was obstructed by his sweater paws wiping away his tears, he didn't notice as he walked straight into someone's side as he rounded a busy corner. He removed his hands from his face in horror, "I-I'm so sorry! I wasn't..."Peter's eyes widen as he took in the man before him. He had thick black hair, thick eyebrows, and smooth skin. His brown eyes were unmistakable and Peter was hit with relief.It was Mr. Stark.based on: "congratulations, you won. and all the love you never gave me, i can give to my son. eternal love to my child, we'll forever be one. thanks to you, i know the man that i would never become." - like a river by joyner lucas
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 51
Kudos: 420





	1. part one

Peter munched idly on the chocolate chip granola bar Happy gave him as he went up the elevator of the Tower. It was Friday, so it was a lab day on May's day of the week. Both Tony and May thought it was a _great_ idea to co-parent Peter, agreeing on having him every other week, but still saving Friday for lab days.

His school day hadn't been too great. The usual bullying from Flash and the background bickering from Ned and MJ had become a usual by now, which hadn't made his day particularly interesting. His teachers droned on about the subjects they were getting paid to teach and there hadn't been any upcoming projects or field trips planned. Peter wanted _something_ interesting to happen.

It wasn't like it had to be a giant attack on New York for Peter to be happy, but at least they could take a day trip in a neighboring state if Tony was up to it. The boy arrived on the lab floor as soon as he finished his snack, tucking the wrapper in the side pocket of his backpack.

When he walked in, Tony was completely concentrated on something on the floor, fiddling with wires and and panels. "Hey, Mr. Stark!" Peter chirped, leaning over to get a good look at what his mentor was working on. Tony didn't look up from his project, "Hey, Pete. Do me a favor and hand me the tweezers on the table?"

"Got it!"

Peter hurriedly grabbed the tweezers and handed them to Tony, watching as the older man carefully took something out of the machine. Peter had momentarily wondered what had got Tony so immersed in a project. It wasn't like him to get this concentrated in the middle of the afternoon, so it must've been something really important.

Peter looked around the table while Tony worked, peering over to see blueprints for what he was working on. Oddly enough, the project didn't have a name, but Peter read over it thoroughly. If there was one thing that Peter was proud of other than Spider-Man, it was his photographic memory. "Mr. Stark, what is this?" Peter mumbled as he read over the papers, taking in the information at a mile a minute.

"It's...uh..." Tony wasn't paying attention to him much, concentrated on getting whatever he needed out of the machine. Peter just rolled his eyes playfully and moved on to the next interesting thing on the table. The boy picked up the vial and read the label that was written in wobbly handwriting. No doubt the work of Bruce Banner.

_Memory loss._

Now things were starting to get interesting. Maybe his day wouldn't be so boring after all! "No freaking way! _Memory loss?!_ Mr. Stark, when did you get your hands on this?!"

With those words, Tony was immediately pulled out of his work as he whipped his head over to where Peter was standing. The last thing he needed was the kid to lose his memory, "Oi, Pete! Put that down!"

No way was Peter going to put it down. This was insane! He had seen a lot of things in his 16 years of living (including aliens), but he had never seen a successful memory loss formula. His little mind was racing, coming up with all sorts of questions. How long did it last? Was it permanent? Would you lose all memory or just from a single event?

"Hey, Peter, I'm being serious. _Put. It. Down._ " Tony stalked over to Peter, reaching his hand out to take the vial from the teenager. Peter pulled it close to his chest, "No, let me at least see the formula! I can't believe you didn't tell me about this, I thought we were lab buddies." He teased, but Tony was starting to look anxious.

"We are—just put it down, Pete, for God's sake." Tony said, exasperated and slowly losing his patience. His kid was juggling with something dangerous and he refused to hand it over. It wasn't like he could just grab it out of his hands, something might break or go wrong. Peter stepped back, " _Please_ , Mr. Stark? I'll be careful, I promise I won't drop it or do something stupid! I thought we were past the whole 'you not trusting me' thing."

Tony carefully stepped forward as Peter kept stepping back, "Peter, I am asking you to put it down. No, I'm _telling_ you to put it down. I trust you more than anyone kid, but it's not something I want in your hands." Peter knitted his eyebrows in annoyance, taking more defiant steps back until he hit the machine that Tony had been working on earlier, "You say you trust me but then you say you don't want it in my hands? That's very contradicting."

Tony looked even more worried now, which made Peter feel a little guilty. Maybe if he just put it down, Tony would change his mind later about letting him look at the formula. "Peter...I need you to listen to me very carefully—"

"Okay, okay, I'll put it down." Peter mumbled sadly.

"No, Peter—"

"I heard you the first time!"

"Listen to me—"

Peter moved forward, accidentally stepping on a small button that had been laying on the ground. The last thing he heard was Tony's voice calling out for him.

In Peter's defense, he had never been good at listening to people who he thought didn't trust him. He was just one of those kids who liked to prove what he could do, and he was proud of that (for the most part). In this moment, not so much.

His head pounded as he lay on cold dirty New York City concrete, groaning as he sat to up rub at his head. Peter heard murmuring from other people, but he ignored it in favor of nursing his swollen head. He blearily opened his eyes, seeing the small crowd that had formed around him. An older woman tentatively held out her hand, "Hey, are you okay? It looks like you hit your head pretty hard."

Peter knitted his eyebrows in confusion. What had just happened? He was just in the lab with Mr. Stark a few seconds ago, but from the looks of it, he ended up in Central Park. He just shook his head, "I'm fine, I just need to get back home."

The woman pursed her lips, "Do you want me to call your parents?" The other crowd patrons started mumbling about him being on drugs which made Peter mentally roll his eyes. "Uhm, sure! That would actually be easier for me than, you know, walking back home." He chuckled nervously, pulling himself up off the hard concrete. It was then when he really started to notice their attire.

It seemed like they were a fitness group, all decked out in 90's track suits. Which was a little strange to Peter considering those went out of fashion years ago. Maybe they just liked vintage.

"Okay, sweetheart. Let's see if a nearby shop has a phone booth." She motioned for him to follow her but Peter just tilted his head, "You don't have your phone on you?" The group just exchanged glances, stepping back from Peter and whispering to each other again. But the kind lady just gave him a strained smile, "Phones are _way_ too big to be carrying with us on a run. Besides, those things are so expensive, I don't think I could buy one with the amount I'm making now."

The other ladies nodded, shifting their eyes to look at Peter's reaction. Needless to say, Peter was panicking. If their clothes were enough of a clue, then the phone information was definitely a fact. He started nervously shifted his feet, trying not to panic if his theory was correct, "W-What year is it?"

"Oh, jeez, kid. You must've hit your head hard." The lady said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, "It's 1992."

Peter's eyes went wide, the shock causing him to take a small step back. "1992?" He breathed out, clutching the small vial that he forgot was in his hand the whole time. "That's right."

Peter looked back up to the group of ladies and took another step back, "I-I'm actually feeling fine! I'll call my dad on the way back home, but I-I have to go!" He took off before the group of jogging ladies could say anything else, heading for the nearest exit in Central Park.

The thing Mr. Stark had been working on must've been a time machine. That would explain the way he was so freaked out when Peter got too close to it! His foot was near the button and anything could've happened if he had shifted it in the slightest. In this case, _well_ , he got transported back 31 years in the past. He tried not to let tears prickle his eyes, but he was panicking. He wasn't even born yet and his parents hadn't met either, which gave him no clue as to where any of them were. And May would be basically unreachable since she's his aunt by marriage.

Peter tried to think of Mr. Stark, but he was positive that he had lived in Malibu at this age already. He didn't know much about his past, it wasn't something that the older man liked to talk about on the daily basis, but Peter did know that this was the year his parents died. Which gave him two options: Tony was in New York or Tony was in Malibu.

Unfortunately he didn't know when exactly his parents died and he didn't know what month he was in either. When Peter got out of the park, he lifted his head to see if there was any clue of Stark activity _anywhere_. The Tower was gone and the Compound was out of the question, leaving Peter shaking with doubt on the sidewalk.

"Oh my god, I'm gonna be stuck here." He whispered to himself, tugging down the sleeves of his sweater in an attempt to calm down. Peter breathed through his nose and thought again. If Tony was even in New York, he would undoubtedly be in Manhattan. He would start there.

Peter nodded to himself and began walking further into the city. He stayed away from Times Square and to more of the residential areas since he knew Tony wouldn't be in such a touristy area. He really hates his past self for not asking what Tony was doing in 1992, but hey, he couldn't have known.

Peter looked in apartment complexes, hotels, he peeked in bars and clubs, but there was absolutely no sign that Tony Stark was in the city. New York was huge and there was no guarantee that he was even in the same state as Peter. He didn't give up until the sun went down, causing him to crouch down in an alley and cry.

He was going to be stuck in 1992 with no way to get back. He remembered the blueprints for the time machine, but there was no way he could all the materials he needed without his mentor's help. Even then, Tony wasn't as soft now as he is in the future. Peter would be meeting a 21 year old playful, cold hearted playboy.

His feet hurt and his legs burned, pulling Peter out of his self pity. He at least needed to find a place to sleep. Peter pulled himself to his aching feet and rounded the corner, noticing the high end area he was in. He didn't recognize this place in modern times, but it did look really nice. There were fancy restaurants and expensive shops with a lot of hotels. Maybe if he begged enough, they would be kind to let him sleep in the lobby. He was still a kid after all.

Peter wiped at his eyes, trying not to let more tears fall the more he thought about his situation. He should've just _listened_ to Mr. Stark. Then, he would've never ended up time traveling with no way to get back.

As Peter's view was obstructed by his sweater paws wiping away his tears, he didn't notice as he walked straight into someone's side as he rounded a busy corner. He removed his hands from his face in horror, "I-I'm so sorry! I wasn't..."

Peter's eyes widen as he took in the man before him. He had thick black hair, thick eyebrows, and smooth skin. His brown eyes were unmistakable and Peter was hit with relief.

_It was Mr. Stark._

Tony raised an amused eyebrow, "You weren't what? Looking where you were going? It's a busy street, you're lucky I'm not one of those assholes who would rip you a new one for bumping into me like that." Peter just blinked in shock, fumbling with the sleeves of his sweater. He was well aware that the man in front of him was Mr. Stark. A very young, handsome Mr. Stark that Peter couldn't stop staring at. Everything was the same about him except his age.

In different circumstances, Peter would be freaking out about cool this whole experience was, but he was literally looking at the only chance he had left. Peter cleared his throat, "U-Uhm, I-I'm sorry." He breathed out, slightly overwhelmed with looking at Tony's face.

He really realized that he was in 1992 and Tony didn't remember him at all. There was no way he could've. Peter felt his heart rate speed up and his breathing increase, but the other man didn't seem to notice. "You already said that." Tony just chuckled and was about to keep on walking until Peter snatched his sleeve out of panic.

"M-Mr. Stark, you h-have to help me." Peter sobbed, finally letting bit globs of tears run down his face. Tony froze and took in Peter's appearance. To him, he only saw a crazy random kid who started crying. Nothing interesting about that, but the thing that made Tony slightly nervous is that the kid _knew his name._ And he was asking for help.

Peter looked up to the man with his big brown eyes, basically pleading for him to at least hear him out. Tony's own eyes widened as he tried to figure out what was going on, "How do you know my name?"

Peter mentally kicked himself for letting that slip. He blamed it on his increasing heart rate and his up and coming panic attack. He remembered that Tony wasn't really famous until after he inherited Stark Industries, so it would be weird for a random person on the street to recognize him. At his own mistake, he head started to get cloudy with doubt of ever getting back home and doing things right. If Mr. Stark didn't help him now, Peter was going to be a bawling mess and he really didn't want to scare away his only chance.

"I want my d-dad." Peter cried, pulling Tony closer to him to seek some sort of comfort. It was obvious that the young adult wasn't comfortable with this _at all_ , but Peter was overwhelmed and wasn't thinking straight. The pedestrians around them started to get irritated, causing Tony to pull the kid into the building he had just walked out of. Peter continued to cry, even when Tony sat him down on one of the hotel's lavish couches.

People started to look their way which made Tony visibly irritated, "Hey, kid, stop crying? We'll call your dad." Peter sniffled, wiping his nose with his sweater which caused Tony to cringe and exhale out of annoyance. He hated children.

"You can't!" Peter grabbed his sleeve again, pulling Tony down on the couch with him. "Stop grabbing me, do you know how much—"

"Don't leave me. No matter what, _please don't leave me Tony_."

The older man's breath hitched, not proud to admit that he was getting really creeped out by this kid. He was sobbing and asking for his dad, clinging to him constantly, and begging for help? What was wrong with him? Not to mention that he knew his _full name_. He had never seen this kid in his life.

Tony awkwardly rubbed the kid's back in an attempt to be comforting, but he was practically a kid himself. He was only legally allowed to drink a few months ago so it was awkward to try and comfort someone so close to his age.

Peter just melted right into it, feeling right at home. It was good to know that Tony still felt the same. And he was wearing a familiar cologne too.

The comfort didn't last long, because Tony pulled away and held Peter's shoulders instead. "Who are you? And please answer this time instead on getting your snot and drool all over me." Peter nervously shifted, "If I tell you, you have to promise not to freak out. If I learned anything from old movies, I'm not supposed to give you this type of information, but you're the only chance I have left to get back home." The kid rambled as Tony blinked in annoyance.

"Just fucking tell me already! You've already freaked me out because you somehow know my name and are obsessed with grabbing my sleeves!" Peter mumbled out another apology before taking in a deep breath, "My name is Peter Parker and I really need your help to build a time machine."

Tony raised his eyebrows and stared at the kid for awhile, looking to see if there was any humor in his big brown eyes. To his misfortune, he only saw fear and _hope_. "Okay, great, I have a 12 year old lunatic in my hands." He laughed to himself.

Peter looked hurt, inching away from him in the slightest, "I'm 16! And I'm not crazy! I'm running out of ideas and I'm _scared_ because I have no one who can help me get back home. Please believe me?" Tony's mouth twitched as he looked the boy up and down again. It was true that his clothes were unlike anything he'd ever seen. He had an oversized MIT sweater (that looked oddly enough like his own), some black jeans, and Nike sneakers that looked straight out of a futuristic catalogue. It wasn't too far fetched he supposed, especially since _Peter_ knew his full name.

He supposed there were be no harm in believing the kid. All he needed to do was look up his parents when he got home and Peter would be out of his hands. "Okay, I believe you Peter Parker. And why, may I ask, am I your only chance at getting back home?"

Peter's face flushed and he suddenly looked nervous, "I can't really tell you, but I know you're crazy smart and you have the materials I need to build it. I memorized the blueprints in my head so all I need is your help." Tony leaned back in thought, "Hm, what about your parents? If you're from the future then your parents must be here somewhere."

"I don't have any."

"You're lying."

"I'm not!"

Peter flushed again, moving his face out of view from Tony. He couldn't let it slip that Tony was basically his father in the future. It would destroy everything and there was no telling what could happen when he went back to 2023. Tony tilted his head in amusement as he watched Peter get flustered. He knew the kid was lying but he wasn't going to give him a heart attack.

"Okay, so I won't be charged for kidnapping if I take you with me?" Tony said as he got to his feet, holding out a hand for Peter to take. Peter eagerly accepted it and bounced up and down in excitement, "Nope! Besides, I'm not supposed to be born until 9 more years. I'm not in any databases."

Tony mentally groaned, kicking the idea of finding his parents out the door. "Alright, come with me, we're going to Malibu."

"This is so exciting! I've never been to Malibu! I've been to Germany and I went on a Europe tour during my school trip this year—oh—not _this_ year but you know what I mean—"

Tony leaned his head back in annoyance as Peter kept rambling on and on about every little topic. He rolled the partition up so the driver couldn't hear their conversation, "What year are you from anyway?" Peter perked up and brought his backpack into his lap, "I'm from the year 2023," He chirped as he pulled out a history book from his bag.

Tony peered over and sure enough it was a 2023 edition. "I'm not buying it. Anyone can print a fake cover for a history book. Besides, if you're going to make me believe time travel is real, at least make your story believable." He said as he looked out the window on their way to the airport.

He could practically hear Peter's head tilt, "What do you mean?"

"Your math is off. If you were going to be born until 9 more years, then that means you were born sometime in 2001. You said you're 16, right? But you're from the year 2023? If you want to make your lie believable, you would be from 2017-2018."

Peter was quiet, no doubt from getting found out. Tony smiled smugly until Peter spoke, "You're wrong. I really am 16 and I'm from the year 2023."

Tony's smile dropped and he turned to glare at Peter, "Just admit you're lying already, I already found you out, kid. I don't know how you managed to get your hands on a MIT sweater." He mumbled the last part to himself, but Peter didn't need to know that. It was also weird that he had the sweater that was original only to his graduating class, but it was amusing to see the boy scramble for more excuses.

"Here, I have my driver's license to prove it." Peter held out a small card which Tony took dramatically. Immediately upon seeing his picture, the young adult let out a snort, "Nice picture, kid."

"Shut up!" Peter mumbled, looking away embarrassed. It wasn't his fault the DMV didn't tell him when they were going to take the picture.

Tony just blinked in shock, "Let's just say this is real...we must be close in the future, huh?" Peter's face morphed into confusion and slight panic, adjusting himself nervously on the car seats, "What makes you say that?"

"You just told me to shut up. No one tells me to shut up."

Peter's hands flew to his mouth before a string of apologies flew out, "I'm so sorry! Sometimes I forget about—"

"That's my sweater, too." Tony said smugly, effectively cutting off Peter's rambling. Peter just accepted his defeat and sulked against the window. It was hard trying to keep the extent to their relationship from Tony, he was naturally just a smart guy. How annoying was it for Peter to wear a 1987 exclusive MIT sweatshirt the day he was blasted into the past. "Fine, you caught me. No point in trying to hide it now, I'm not wearing a shirt under this."

"So...we're not like...a thing, right?"

Peter jumped up from his spot in the car, letting out a horrified squeak, " _Oh my god, NO!_ Jeez, Mr. Stark, that's disgusting." Tony huffed with a small smile laced on his face, "I definitely needed my ego checked."

"I'm not saying you're ugly, you're actually quite handsome at 21. It's just gross because we—"

Peter paused and looked to the side, "I can't tell you. But, that's definitely not something I needed to imagine." Tony laughed, "I'm just messing with you, kid. I would be 52 in 2023 and you wouldn't even be legal. I'm not a _monster_."

"Very funny joke, Mr. Stark. Good to see your humor never changed." Peter deadpanned, readjusting his backpack to shove his book and driver's license back in there. It looked like they were nearing the private jet which had the boy's stomach twisting at the memory of his fight with the Vulture.

"Is that all you have with you?" Tony said, motioning to Peter's school bag. "Yep! If I had known I was going to time travel, I would've brought more clothes." He said sheepishly, making Tony roll his eyes. The kid apologized for everything.

They got out of the car and boarded the plane, Peter taking everything in with wide eyes, "Wow! Everything is so fancy in here." He said as he walked up and down the isle to look at the expensive liquor that lined the back end of the plane. Tony just took a seat and sighed, watching as Peter was talking to himself at how amazing different things were. Admittedly, in the beginning, he thought Peter was annoying, but now he thought his rambling and nerdy mannerisms were somewhat cute.

When Peter made his way back to where Tony was, he gave the older man a bright smile. "You never told me why you were in New York."

"You never asked."

Peter shoved his shoulder playfully, "You know what I mean. I thought you would be in Malibu since you're inheriting the company." Tony gave him a look before speaking, wondering how to choose his words, "I came back to grab a few things from home, that's all."

For once, Peter didn't pry, opting to hum in acknowledgement. They settled into a comfortable silence, not talking even when the plane was taking off. It seemed like Peter was exhausted from his day, from going to school, to time traveling, and finding a 21 year old Tony.

The older man settled into the plane's comfy chair, a book nestled in his lap when he felt something heavy settle on his shoulder. He didn't even need to look over to know who it was, but he did anyway.

Peter was conked out, snoozing softly on Tony's shoulder. He looked different from when Tony saw him initially. Peter was scared with tears in his eyes, begging for someone to help him get back to his own time. But this Peter was calm and relaxed, he seemed at ease and comfortable in Tony's presence.

Tony looked at Peter's face and took in his long eyelashes and small little nose. Sleeping like this, Peter somewhat looked like _him_. Minus the chubby cheeks that made the kid look like a middle schooler, he could see the resemblance. He was also pretty smart if he managed to find him in 1992.

Tony also struggled to figure out his relationship with the teenager in the future. He knew it wasn't good to know something like that just incase it messed with the future, but he wouldn't act out on the information if he ever got his hands on it. Tony could cross lovers off the list immediately given Peter's reaction and their age gap. It was likely that he was a teacher and Peter was his student, but that wouldn't explain the level of platonic intimacy that they clearly shared.

The young adult knitted his eyebrows before his eyes landed on something that could give him what he needed. Peter's backpack.

He slowly reached down and plucked the bag off the floor, careful not to wake up the sleeping teenager on his shoulder. Tony quietly opened the zipper and peered inside, rummaging through his school work and books. When he couldn't find anything in the big pocket, he moved to the front small one and grabbed his wallet.

Tony opened it and was met with his god awful driver's license. He quietly snickered to himself before his eyes landed on something that would change the game entirely.

He carefully took the picture out of his wallet and studied it. Even though he was years older and had facial hair, Tony recognized himself immediately. There were two figures snuggled up in a huge bed that overlooked a future Manhattan. If he looked close enough, it seemed like Peter was sleeping and resting his head on his chest. He himself was undoubtedly sleeping as well, but that wasn't the giveaway.

There was a card on the bed that read Happy Father's Day. Tony nearly dropped the picture in horror and looked to the snoozing kid on his shoulder.

_Peter was his son._


	2. part two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guysss i was blown away by this picture. if you want to see peter and tony’s comparison side by side (which is relevant in this chapter), please copy and paste this link into your browser! it’s actually crazy how much tom and young rdj look like each other :0
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/CKfu0jNAllv/?igshid=x6e0oq3y4rjs
> 
> (also, i didn’t proof-read but what’s new haha)

Tony's hands shook as he carefully put everything back into Peter's bag, setting the evidence down exactly where he found it before. He swallowed nervously as he peered over at Peter again, studying everything that he had missed in the previous hours.

Never once did he think he was going to have children, not after what he had gone through with his own father. Tony never wanted to pass down the trauma to his own skin and blood, but it looks like his future self had made a choice within the next 9 years. Peter looked so kind and innocent, it was hard to believe that he had been raised by _him_.

Tony sat back and sighed, struggling to hold his tears in. He just hoped that whatever happened in the future, he was a good enough father to Peter. He hoped he never yelled, hit, or physically punished the kid in any way, and instead had a very strong bond the he wished he had with Howard. The kind of bond where there was a level of trust and respect, but they could also have fun and tease other like he saw in the movies.

He looked over at the sleeping boy and tentatively reached over to stroke his hair, smiling softly while trying his hardest not to cry. _This was his kid._ Even though he had known him for less than a day, he was so proud of Peter for navigating his way through NYC, _alone_ , to find him. Tony knew right then and there that he had to try his hardest to get his son back to his own time, and he had to do it quickly before he fell too hard.

Tony let out a shaky breath, but nodded to himself in determination. He would get Peter _home_.

"Wake up, Peter. I know it's early, but we have to get started soon." Peter heard a whisper from above him. It sounded familiar, like Mr. Stark, but slightly younger. The boy groggily opened his eyes and was met with Tony's worried eyes staring at him intently.

Ah, that's right. He was sent back to 1992. "What time is it here?" Peter yawned as he got up to stretch, thinking about how Tony's way of speaking seemed like it completely changed over night. Like he was somehow speaking _gentler_ to him.

"It's 4 in the morning. We have to get into the lab before anyone shows up for work, so let's hurry." Tony lifted Peter up by his armpits, setting him down on his feet before hurrying out of the plane. Peter just blinked in surprise, but ultimately shrugged it off. Tony was different, he was 21, so maybe he was just having mood swings.

Peter hurried after Tony, jogging down the jet's stairs before following the man into a shiny sports car. Great, Tony was driving, which means this could potentially be his last day on Earth.

The boy slid into the passenger seat and quickly buckled his seatbelt (saying a small prayer when he heard Tony turn on the engine), "So what's the plan?" He breathed out, holding onto dear life as Tony sporadically put the car in reverse and booked it out of the airport lot. Mental note for later, May should be the only one teaching him how to drive.

"You're staying in the car. I don't want to have to make up a cover story for you just incase someone is still there." Tony said, poking Peter harshly in the chest. The boy mumbled out a pained whine before smacking his hand away, "First of all, _ow_! And second, how do you even know what to get? Cause last time I checked, the blueprint was right here." Peter retorted, pointing smugly to his forehead.

Tony gave him a look before he snorted, "Nerd."

"Says the one who skipped high school."

"Touché."

Peter turned in his seat to look at Tony more clearly (and partially because he didn't want to see how fast they were speeding down California's highway), "I'm being serious, Mr. Stark. Let me come with you! It will be faster with the two of us and I already know what to get." Tony side eyed him suspiciously before sighing, "Fine. But if anyone asks, just say you're an old friend from MIT."

"Ooh! Smart thinking Mr. Stark. It's because the sweater, huh?" Peter said excitedly, all his previous tiredness gone as pure adrenaline coursed through his veins.

"Yeah, sure."

By the time Tony pulled into the back lot of Stark Industries, Peter's head was spinning. "Why do you drive so fast Mr. Stark?" Peter mumbled, clutching his head and contemplating ever getting into the car with Tony again in the future. The man just shot him a smirk and playfully patted his head, "I have places to be and unfortunately the speed limit constricts that."

Peter didn't reply, opting to open the passenger seat and step out of the car on wobbly legs. Tony followed, grabbing the boy by his elbow to lead him to the back entrance of the storage building. "This is where all the supplies should be. Inventory is going to be off tomorrow morning, but it's nothing I can't fix." The man shrugged, pulling out a lanyard and swiping his card in the keypad.

"This is so cool, I didn't know the Stark Industries in LA was so big." Peter said with wide eyes as the pair stepped into the warehouse. Tony frowned, "I expand to New York? Interesting."

Tony walked passed Peter and he could hear a loud slap, no doubt from Peter covering his mouth as he let another fact from the future go past his lips. The young adult just smirked and shook his head, wondering how he raised such a perfect human being in the years to come. "U-Uhm, I d-didn't mean—"

"Save it, kid. What do we need?"

Peter snapped out of it and began looking around the huge warehouse, "Oh! We should probably start out with the basics and work out way from there. We're going to need a lot of iron and steel for the metal framework."

The two worked as quickly as possible, Peter making a little bit more progress with his enhanced strength which (thankfully) Tony didn't question at the moment. They squished the parts into a small SI truck and Peter cheered quietly as the last machine part was loaded. The sun had begun to rise which propelled Tony to hurry and get the kid home before employees started showing up for work.

At no surprise to Tony, Peter was once again knocked out in the passenger seat of the truck. He couldn't help but feel a little relieved that the teen was getting rest, they had a couple long days ahead of them if everything went according to plan. Peter still had to draw out the blueprints and then they would work to being assembling which he couldn't do on the 3 hours of sleep he got in the jet. Tony allowed himself to run one hand through his kid's hair and admire his face before stepping on the gas pedal.

Yes, they were in a truck and an accident could be fatal. So what? He was Tony Stark.

The young adult expertly weaved between cars on the highway before pulling up to the huge driveway connecting to his Malibu mansion. He had only lived here for a couple of weeks before his trip back to New York, but he felt a sense of security knowing that Peter was safe from prying eyes.

He parked the truck in the garage and quietly made his way to the passenger side, opening the door, and scooping the boy into his arms. Peter was extremely light, much to Tony's pleasure. It would make it easier to carry him up the stairs.

After a long 5 minutes of heaving, he finally got the teenager to his bedroom and settled him under the blankets after removing his shoes. He breathed out a long sigh and wiped his forehead, "I need to start working out more." He whispered to himself, eyes squinting at the sun that was slowly making its way further up the horizon. Tony closed the blinds and patted Peter's head before retreating to a guest room down the hall.

They could figure out time travel later.

"Mr. Stark? Mr. Stark..."

Tony knitted his eyebrows and turned the opposite direction from where the voice was coming from. Is a couple more hours of sleep too much to ask for? He felt himself drifting off back into unconsciousness when he felt a weight on his whole body. Tony let out a deep and annoyed sigh, "Peter."

He opened one eye and was met with Peter's face all up in his, innocent brown eyes blinking curiously up at him. Of course, the boy was lied on his back across Tony's torso, making it a little difficult to breathe. Even though he was immensely annoyed at the thought of being woken up from such a deep slumber, he couldn't hold it against the boy who was looking up at him like he was his whole world.

"I was starting to think you would never wake up." Peter smiled. Tony buried his face in his pillow, "Wouldn't that be a shame." The boy just laughed and brought himself to his feet, "It's noon, Mr. Stark! We have to get started."

Tony just grunted but didn't move from his spot on the bed, instead, he buried himself deeper into the covers. "I'll sit on you if you don't wake up." Peter threatened, inching closer to the edge of the mattress. "I'm guessing if you're threatening me, it's not a very pleasant experience." He mumbled without opening his eyes.

Peter didn't say anything, making a noise of indifference and taking it upon himself to look around the huge guest bedroom. Tony sighed once again, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling until he build up the energy to step out of the bed. "Before we do anything, we're eating. I want a cheeseburger."

Peter made an excited noise and followed Tony out of the room, "Oh my gosh, can I try In N Out? I've heard all about it from the kids at school and this is my first time on the west coast! Please, Mr. Stark?"

The 21-year-old only grunted in response, dragging his feet across his expensive tile that lined the upstairs floor. "I'm taking that as a yes!" Peter whooped as he trailed after his mentor, the pair making their way down the stairs.

"I know you haven't lived here long, but what would you recommend on the menu? The animal fries must be really good because that's all I've heard about. Unless you recommend something else? You're technically a local so I trust your judgment." Tony blinked tiredly as the kid began to ramble, stepping down the stairs slowly until he came to a complete stop. His eyes widen when he saw who was sitting on the living room sofa.

"Obadiah."

Peter bumped into him from behind, but didn't seemed fazed as he leaned his head on his shoulder, "Hm, that's a weird name for a food. But I guess I—"

Peter seemed to finally come to his senses when his head snapped up and he scrambled to remove himself from Tony's side. The man stood up from the sofa and eyed over Peter with a look of strange curiosity, "Who is this?"

"A friend from MIT. He's visiting."

"I didn't know you started to fly out your bed partners now."

"I don't." Tony grit his teeth. Yeah, it was funny to make the joke earlier when he didn't know who Peter was. But now knowing that his _son_ was standing next to him, it set an unsettling feeling in his stomach, "What are you doing here anyway? I have a week off before the conference and you promised to leave me alone."

Obadiah removed his eyes from Peter's nervous ones and looked at Tony with concern, "Your car was at Stark Industries this morning but you never checked in, so I'm sorry that I was worried for your well-being. I thought maybe someone had taken you."

Tony pursed his lips before furrowing his eyebrows in thought, "Yeah, I was giving Peter a tour last night and we found the liquor under my desk, so I didn't feel safe driving home. Called a cab."

The man looked to Peter again, sizing him up before giving a dubious nod, "Right. Well...I don't want to intrude so I'll leave you alone as promised. Take care of yourself, Stark." Tony hummed as watched as the man left, finally breathing out a sigh of relief when Obadiah pulled out of the driveway. He didn't like the way he was looking at Peter, like he knew there was something else going on besides visiting. He just hoped that he didn't act on it.

"So that's Obadiah..." Peter thought to himself out loud as he leaned against the staircase railing on the last step. "You never met him in the future?" Tony asked curiously. Peter shook his head, "No." But didn't say any more than that.

Tony thought it was strange. If Peter was born 9 years from now, then he was sure Obadiah would still be by his side. Unless something happened that Peter wasn't telling him about. But Peter didn't know that he knew that Tony was his dad, and he planned to keep it that way. There was a reason why Peter was keeping his mouth shut.

"Animal fries?"

"Yes!"

"Peter, you are a complete barbarian." Tony grimaced as he watched his kid scarf down two burgers, animal fries, and a milk shake. "I have a fast metabolism, Mr. Stark. I have to eat a lot to gain energy." Peter explained before taking a huge bite out of his burger.

"Yeah, well, let's hope that lasts you because we have to get started on those blueprints soon. If you finish them tonight, then we might have time to get started on the framework as well."

Peter nodded enthusiastically, chowing down on his food as Tony watched. Even though the teenager was currently inhaling his food, he thought he was the most beautiful and perfect human he had ever seen. The more he took in his features, the more he could see himself. Their nose and lips were nearly identical and his curly brown hair was something he didn't overlook.

But the fact that the kid was so pure and _innocent_ questioned something in the back of Tony's head. It was like a scratch on his brain that he couldn't itch. How did he do it? How did he raise such a good person? He knew he would find all the answers in the future, because...well, he's only 21.

Peter looked over at him with spread all over his cheeks, "What?"

Tony shook his head with a small smile, "Nothing, kid. Let's get started on those blueprints."

After Peter cleaned up, he worked diligently on the blueprints while Tony gathered all the supplies from the truck. Peter told him what to get for the metal framework and they started there. The young adult didn't miss the way Peter was in full concentration as he sketched out everything from memory, reaching for rulers and different lead pencils while he eyes never strayed from the paper.

It was close to three hours when Peter finally made a noise that wasn't a response to a question he had asked, "Aha! I'm finished, Mr. Stark!"

"Awesome. Let's get started so we can get you home tomorrow." Tony reached over to take a look at everything, thoroughly impressed with Peter and his future self for coming up with time travel. He whistled to himself, "Wow, this is amazing, Peter. You have a real superpower don't you?"

Peter tensed up but relaxed after a nervous giggle, "Y-Yeah, I guess so." They began working together in coordinated silence when Tony's mind began to race again. He knew he shouldn't pry too much into the future. It was dangerous for both of them, but he had to know before he lost his mind and regretted it for the rest of his life.

"Peter?"

"Hm?"

"You're my son, huh?"

There was a small window of silence before Peter dropped the drill that was previously in his hand. "W-What?! No...I'm just an intern at S-Stark Industries. That's all!" Tony stared at him for a long minute until the boy gave in with a sigh. "How did you know?" He asked, his big brown eyes looking up at him through thick black lashes that resembled his own.

Tony scooted forward until their knees were touching, reaching out to thread his fingers through Peter's hair, "Your hair."

A small stroke near his eye, "Your eyelashes."

A boop to the nose which made Peter scrunch his nose and giggle, "Your cute nose."

Tony squished the boy's cheeks together, forcing his lips to resemble a fish, "Your lips."

"And finally..." He flicked the boy hard on the forehead, "Your brain."

Peter smiled wide, a blush coating his cheeks despite the pain blossoming on his forehead. Tony's heart clenched as he took in his kid's happy smile, wondering if it was the attention he was getting that was making him so flustered. Did he not give his kid this much attention in the future?

Tony coughed nervously, scooting away from the teenager and motioned to the machine, "We should, uh, keep working on the machine. At this rate, it will probably be done by sunrise." Peter just nodded, going back to the machine while the both of them worked in a comfortable silence.

They had picked up speed on the machine. 21 year old Tony was much younger and could move around a lot more than a 50 year old Tony. It also helped that there were two hands on deck this time while they worked on the small time travel device.

Hours passed, but the two didn't notice, working around each other like they often did in the lab. Peter didn't even notice he was hungry again, too excited to see the finished product that they were so close to reaching. Tony put the final touches on two wires he seared together. He carefully placed them within the framework and welded it shut, "We're done! Oh my fuck I made a time machine." Tony whispered to himself with a smile on his face.

Peter laughed and high fived the young adult, "We did it, Mr. Stark!"

At Peter's voice, it triggered yet another nagging question. If Peter was aware that Tony knew who he was, why did he keep calling him Mr. Stark? Was he raised in an environment where calling him Dad was too intimate? His smile slowly dropped which caught Peter's attention, "What's wrong?"

"What's it like in the future? Us. Together."

Peter frowned in thought before his face relaxed. He stepped closer to Tony, grabbing both of his hands and holding them tight, "We're like two peas in a pod. Usually wherever someone sees you, I'll be right there beside you, either helping with the company or hanging out. We're usually not separated when we are together, unless you have to go away for work for a bit." Tony looked at Peter's face and was met with complete honesty.

"You sing me lullabies and snuggle me when I have nightmares and we have designated days to see each other. You pick me up from school when you can and we stuff our face with ice cream afterwards. I don't know if I should tell you this but...I have a little sister too. So we all hang out as a family when we can. And you co-parent with my Aunt so I see the both of you often. And—"

A tear rolled down Tony's cheek which startled Peter, the boy rushing to wipe it away with his sleeve, "Mr. Stark?"

“I-I just...” Tony breathed slowly and squeezed Peter’s small hand in reassurance, “I didn’t think that I would ever be a father. Like, ever. There was always this fear that I would accidentally end up like my own father, especially in this line of work and I never wanted that for my kids if I decided to have any. So knowing that you— _both of you_ —are safe and happy with me in the future...it means so much, Pete.”

Peter let out a small huff of relief when the nickname slipped out, “You’re doing a great job in the future. And now even! You helped me with a time machine even though my story wasn’t completely believable.” He laughed, squeezing his hand back.

Tony was silent, looking down at the floor until he finally lifted his head to look his kid in the eyes, “Thank you.”

Peter smiled, “I should be the one thanking you. I finally got to hang out with someone closer to my age!” Tony playfully smacked the younger man’s shoulder, but relaxed again, turning towards the time machine.

“We should probably get you back home now. I know I must be worried sick.” He said solemnly, thinking back to the fun little adventure they had over the course of the past two days. Tony could see Peter nod in the corner of his eye, not looking as pleased as he expected him to.

The Peter he knew yesterday in New York was terrified, scared, and sobbing for his dad. He didn’t want to get ahead of himself, but it almost seemed like the kid was disappointed to leave.

“Okay...but first—” Tony stumbled backwards when he was met with an armful of teenager, not entirely used to someone hugging him whenever they wanted to. But he excused it this one time; this was his future son after all.

Tony rested his cheek against Peter’s soft hair, nuzzling into him and sighing with disappointment, “I’m going to miss you.” Peter hummed, “No, you won’t. I have something that you’ll have to _promise_ to do once I’m gone.”

The older of the two pulled away with a puzzled look. He saw Peter scamper across the lab and bring his backpack over, rummaging through the contents before pulling out a vial of clear liquid. “This is a memory loss serum. Your friend, Dr. Banner, made it.”

“And I just had that laying around for you to steal?”

Peter just laughed, the sound making happiness blossom through Tony’s chest. He wouldn’t get to hear him for a whole other 9 years. Even then, he wouldn’t meet a teenage Peter until another 16.

“That’s what I was saying! You shouldn’t have left it on the lab table if you didn’t want me to see it eventually. Besides, good thing I was messing with this and hung onto it or I could’ve potentially messed up another reality.” Peter mumbled to himself before his eyes widened, “If I wasn’t messing with this in the first place, then I wouldn’t have traveled back in time to 1992.”

Tony rolled his eyes, snatching the vial out of the teenager’s hands, “I promise to drink this as soon as you zap away.”

Peter nods once again, slower this time as he putsthe blueprints in his backpack and around his shoulders. His eyes shift between the small platform and Tony before he barrels towards the man again, nuzzling his face in the crook of his neck, “I love you, Dad.”

Tony wrapped his hands around his boy, squeezing tight like it was the last time he was ever going to see him, “I love you too, Peter.”

The teenager pulled away again, wiping a stray tear before stumbling onto the platform. “I’ll see you soon!” Tony smiled, “I’m looking forward to it, kid.”

Tony pressed the button on the floor, watching as Peter seemed to vanish in thin air, the time machine going with him. He wished to the stars that he actually made it back to 2023 and _didn’t_ completely vanish into thin air.

When a few seconds passed, he let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding in before collapsing on the ground and sobbing.

Peter was perfect. He was everything he hoped to be and more, thanking himself in the future for raising such an amazing kid. Despite his earlier worries, he knew that he never yelled at Peter. He knew he never hit him. He knew he didn’t ignore him and gave all the love he could to the boy.

Most of all, he knew that Peter loved him. No matter what time period he ended up in, Peter loved him with ever fiber of his being and he could _see_ that. He let out a shaky breath, relieved that he didn’t become who he feared the most in his childhood.

“Thank you, Howard, for showing me who to never become.”

With his future boy in his mind, he uncapped the vial and swallowed the liquid.

“Peter? Oh my— _shit_ —Peter!”

Peter groaned, rolling around on his side. His head hurt like crazy and Tony was yelling in his ear like he wasn’t _right there_. “Mr. Stark? Did we do it? Am I back home?” He mumbled languidly as he sat up on the platform.

He heard Tony breathe out a sigh of relief and pull him into a bone crushing hug, “Don’t ever do that to me kid. When I say to put something down, _you put it down_.” Peter blinked his eyes open, looking face to face with a much older Tony.

That’s when he knew that they had done it. Their time machine from 1992 worked!

“Mr. Stark!” Peter gasped, hugging back with just as much vigor. He could feel Tony smile, “Yeah, it’s me bud.”

“You wouldn’t believe what just happened! I went back in time to 1992 and was so lost because I ended up in Central Park, but I was looking all around the city for you and found you in Manhattan in the fancy hotel area. Then 21-year-old you helped me out and we went to Malibu to get stuff from SI to build a new time machine since I remembered the blueprints on the table. Then you let me try In N Out which was really yummy by the way. We built the time machine and I told you I loved you and then I was right back here! I thought I would end up in Central Park again or something!”

Tony pulled back enough to watch Peter’s face as he relived through it, completely taken back by how smart the kid was for literally finding him in 1992. He found him _alone_ in New York City all on his own, and he couldn’t have been more proud.

He looked at Peter for a moment before letting out a healthy laugh, “What did you think of 21-year-old Tony?” Peter smiled as well, snuggling into Tony’s side on the platform floor, “You were so cool. Our conversations went a lot smoother and we joked more since we were closer in age.”

Tony flicked him on the forehead.

“You did that _a lot_ too.” Peter whined as he rubbed the now red spot blooming on his forehead, “Not to mention you almost killed me with your driving, geez.”

The older man gasped dramatically, “Peter Benjamin Parker, are you calling me old?”

Peter laughed, but thought about 21-year-old Tony and how easily he made him laugh too. It was almost surreal that he was looking at the same person, but _wasn’t_ at the same time. He could see how much Tony had changed over the years, but he knew that the Tony he knew in 1992 was still in there. The same one he had met just mere minutes ago.

“No, Tony, I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! first of all, i’m so sorry this is extremely late. i usually post second chapters a week after the first one, but i couldn’t find the time to write over these past few weeks. school has picked up for me a ton, so i had to focus on catching up before i could even think about touching this small series again. anyways, i finally finished it and i hoped you enjoyed! (even though it was a little short)
> 
> some things i was worried might be missed:  
> 1\. peter isnt tony’s biological son nor is he officially adopted. he just let tony come to his own conclusion since he knew it was obviously eating him up  
> 2\. peter’s ‘sister’ was morgan!
> 
> i already have another fic in mind inspired by a febuwhump prompt that is going to be...probably my saddest fic yet. also, i noticed a few people who stop by my stories regularly and i wanted to say hi!! if you ever want to be friends, i’ve got an instagram that you can get from me though my tumblr @krystalpomme! i make journal spreads and write letters on instagram, so come stop by and say hello! thank you for reading and much love <333

**Author's Note:**

> hello! sorry i’ve been so inactive, the holidays are always so busy 🥺 i wasn’t sure of putting out this one because i’ve never written a fic where tony is the one upset, so i greatly appreciate any constructive criticism on characterization on either chapters! i’m using this fic to get feedback to use if i ever make something similar 😂 thank you for reading! <3


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